Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

RESIDENCY PERMITS

French language tests for residency cards: What the new law says

After a lot of political drama, France's new immigration law has been passed - including a section on compulsory French language tests for certain carte de séjour residency cards. Here's what the new law says.

Published: 18 July 2022 13:41 CEST
Updated: 26 December 2023 11:41 CET
French language tests for residency cards: What the new law says
Photo by Ben Mullins on Unsplash

NOTE: This is an old article. The immigration law passed in January 2024, you can find an updated version of language test requirements here.

It’s been creating political chaos for months, but on Tuesday night a heavily revised version of the immigration bill was passed by the French parliament.

You can find a full breakdown of what is in it HERE, but one section that will be of particular interest for foreigners in France is the idea of having to pass a language test to get certain types of long-term carte de séjour residency card.

At present people with a low level of French can be ordered to attend classes by the OFII (Office of immigration and integration), but there is no requirement to pass an exam in order to get a residency card – only French citizenship requires a language exam. 

Introducing the idea back in 2022, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said: “Today, a quarter of foreigners who have residence permits understand and speak French extremely badly.”

Who?

This affects non-EU citizens. Those who have the passport of an EU country, including dual nationals, are not covered since they do not require a carte de séjour.

The test is also only for long-term cards – the carte de séjour pluriannuelle or the carte de résident.

It does not cover Brits in France who are covered by the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement since they already have long-term cards.

It does not cover new arrivals, since the test would be required only for long-term residency cards – it does not affect people on the one-year cartes de séjour, but only people who are moving onto multi-year cards, which usually happens after several years of residency.

It would not affect people who already have a long-term residency card.

It also does not affect visa applications, and does not change the requirements for French citizenship, which already has a language test as part of the application process.

What level?

This is of course the million-euro question – how hard is the test likely to be?

The bill specifies that people applying for the long-term cards must at a minimum “understand expressions frequently used in everyday language, communicate during routine tasks and talk about subjects that correspond to immediate needs”.

It does not specify a language exam level as defined on the international DELF scale, but the requirements outlined above sound similar to those required for the A1 level.

At present A1 level is required for the carte de séjour pluriannuelle – although candidates do not have to take a formal exam – the Interior Ministry previously told The Local that the language level required was not expected to change.

The language level A1 in the international DELF scale is defined as: “The most basic level at which a language is used, called the “discovery” stage. At this stage, the learner can interact in a simple way: he/she can speak about him/herself and his/her immediate environment.”

TEST Could you pass the language level for residency?

For anyone applying for the long-term EU card – résident de longue durée-UE – a higher language level is specified. For this, candidates must be able to “understand sufficiently clear-cut conversations, to produce simple, coherent discourse on familiar matters and to put forward an idea succinctly”.

Qualification type

At this stage we don’t know what type of qualifications would be accepted and whether you would have to take a specific exam or can use qualifications already obtained. 

When it comes to citizenship, you need to have passed writing, reading, listening and oral sections of the exam – and for citizenship the higher level of B1 is required – and the certificates you present cannot be more than two years old.

There are exemptions for anyone who has a degree or equivalent from a French university, but an exemption previously in place for over 60s was scrapped in 2020.

READ ALSO How to find affordable language classes in France

When?

The Immigration bill was passed by MPs in the Assemblée nationale on Tuesday night, but there are still several stages of parliamentary process to go through – including being approved by the Conseil constututional.

If it passes all those stages, it is then up to the government to decide when the law will come into effect – probably in 2024. 

Member comments

  1. I recently went through the OFII process, and part of the integration process was a French language test. I have the VLS-TS visa, and was advised that the minimum level is A2. OFII also offered 100h of free French lessons for those testing A2 and B1.

  2. A1/2 is a far cry from a British A level! It is elementary….please don’t put fear into people! That would be around C1! C2 is the highest.

  3. My poor parents have been living in France where they bought a house in 1999, not socialising much over the past years because people in their mid 80s advised not to during the pandemic.

  4. Vous allez voir que je trouve l’ecriture beaucoup plus difficile que les autres sujets. Avec le masculin, la feminine , l’accordance , les verbs irreguliers , les faux amis et beaucoup plus il sera difficile de reussir. J’ai oublie tous les tenses pluparfait, imparfait, passe simple
    Passe parfait. Les tenses on peut parler, les tenses on ne peut parler mais seulement ecrire . En plus , il y a les accents aigues et graves, circonflex Quel vrai horreur !! Ai-je reussi ? Alexandra x

  6. This language requirement seems less about ensuring foreigners have a basic understanding of French, and more about targeting non-EU citizens. A German who speaks no French could stay multiple years, but an Australian would have to use resources to prove competency.

    In this day of translation tools and professional hand-holders, having a basic grasp of the language isn’t so vital that it needs be an official requirement. This proposal adds time to an already-clogged visa renewal system.

  7. On the validity of DELF-DALF certificates, my understanding is that the qualification is without time limit in the eyes of the French state, just like a university degree or BAC certificate would be. There is another type of language qualification however which only has a two year validity. Are you perhaps confusing one with the other, or does an applicant really have to resit the DELF-DALF after two years to qualify for citizenship? It’s the first I’ve heard of it if so.

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

LIVING IN FRANCE

Reader question: Will I need to do a French ‘integration’ class to renew my carte de séjour?

France's new immigration law contains extra provisions for 'integration' - including promising to adhere to French values and attending classes on French history and culture. Here's what they mean for foreigners in France.

Published: 19 April 2024 17:23 CEST
Reader question: Will I need to do a French 'integration' class to renew my carte de séjour?

Question: I read that France will now be requiring foreigners to sign a contract promising to respect French values, and to take civics classes – does that mean I will have to do that when I next renew my carte de séjour?

The short answer to this is – maybe, it depends on the type of card you have and what change you’re hoping to make.

Here’s the longer answer;

France’s new immigration law, passed back in January, brought in three main changes for foreigners in France – language tests, a contract promising to ‘respect the values of the French republic’ and expanded classes in civics (French culture, history and values).

Language tests

Undoubtedly the biggest change for most people is the language tests – we have covered this topic extensively HERE.

Contracts 

Then there is the Contrat d’engagement au respect des principes de la République française – which is a promise to respect the ‘values of the French republic’ such as personal freedom, freedom of expression and equality between men and women.

In practical terms, this is just a form that you will need to sign as part of the application process for a visa or residency card – you can find full details on exactly what you’re agreeing to respect HERE.

This applies to all types of visa and residency card, including renewals. It is not yet in force, but is expected to come into effect later this year.

Classes

Then there are is the contrat d’intégration républicaine (CIR), which has a confusingly similar name. This involves extra courses in civics and language that certain groups can be required to attend.

The CIR is a lot more than just signing a form, you also agree to take several hours of classes – but the key thing is that many groups are exempt from this requirement.

The immigration law doesn’t actually change who is required to sign the CIR and do the classes, it just expands the scope of the classes themselves and adds a test at the end.

These don’t apply to people applying for visa, it’s only when you get your residency permit – carte de séjour/titre de séjour – that you may be required to meet with OFII (the French office of immigration and integration) and take the classes.

Exemptions – Let’s start with exemptions – if you are applying for or renewing any of the following carte de séjour types you do not need to do the classes; 

  • Visitors (carte de séjour temporaire “visiteur”)
  • Students (carte de séjour temporaire portant la mention “étudiant”)
  • Trainees/interns (carte de séjour temporaire portant la mention “stagiaire”)
  • Temporary workers (carte de séjour temporaire portant la mention “travailleur temporaire”)
  • People who were born in France and have resided here for at least eight years (you fall under the jeune étranger né en France status of the carte de séjour temporaire portant la mention “vie privée et familiale”)
  • People with serious illness (you fall under the ‘étranger malade‘ category of the carte de séjour temporaire portant la mention “vie privée et familiale”)
  • Seconded employees and their families (carte de séjour pluriannuelle portant la mention “salarié détaché”)
  • Seasonal workers (carte de séjour pluriannuelle portant la mention “travailleur saisonnier”)
  • Talent passport holders and their families (carte de séjour pluriannuelle portant la mention “passeport talent”)
  • People who completed at least three years of French secondary school or one year of higher education in France
    EU/EEA/ Swiss nationals
  • Holders of the post-Brexit Article 50 TUE carte de séjour
  • People who qualify for the carte de résident due to service in the French foreign legion or military

So who does have to do the classes? – The new law does not change who has to sign the CIR (and by extension, agree to take the classes), certain groups have always been required to do this, including;

  • Workers on a salarié carte de séjour
  • Self-employed people on a entrepreneur/profession libérale status
  • Certain groups on the ‘vie privée et familiale‘ statuses, including parents of French minors and foreign spouses and partners (PACs) of French nationals.
  • Applicants for the carte de résident de longue durée-UE card, which is given to people after five years of residency in France
  • Refugees

You only have to sign the CIR and take the assigned courses once, and the certificate then applies to all future card applications and renewals. 

How to access the classes

In most cases, people do the classes shortly after arriving in France when they request their first carte de séjour (usually after three months of residence, although it can be longer for different card types).

It is part of the general summons by the OFII which can also include language classes and a medical test.

OFII: Your questions answered on France’s immigration office

However if you are swapping from a card type that is exempt onto a card type that is not exempt you may also have to do them – for example if you apply for the carte de résident de longue durée-UE after five years of residence and were previously on a ‘visiteur’ card.

In this case you won’t receive a summons from OFII, you will need to contact them and request the relevant form. You will be called to an interview and from this interview they will decide whether you need to do the classes or not – it depends on your level of French and whether you can demonstrate that you are integrated into French society and understand French values.

In the case of the carte de résident de longue durée-UE, the opinion of your local mayor or commune can be taken into account – so if you know your mayor you could ask them to write an attestation stating that you are well integrated into local life, which may help.

So that’s the long answer – we did warn you. 

SHOW COMMENTS